“
It will become a torture
”, joked Didier Deschamps on Monday, after yet another raise on the captaincy, at a press conference.
The coach of the Blues put an end to the suffering of each other by announcing, Monday evening, his choice of Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann, the two suitors.
As we revealed to you on Monday, it was the first named, aged 24, who inherited the jackpot, thus succeeding Hugo Lloris.
“Grizou”, 32, takes over from Raphaël Varane as vice-captain.
“
It is not insignificant to be captain of the Blues.
Especially after Hugo who was 10 years old, there is a responsibility to have, in the group, the functioning, it must be done naturally, "
added "DD", referring to "
a new distribution with the career stoppage of Hugo and Raphaël
”.
What could be more natural than the choice of Kylian Mbappé?
Avid of "
responsibilities
", the crack of Bondy is neither the type to hide, nor to be crushed by the function.
The kid who was still discovering the Blues in 2018, during the victorious Russian campaign, gave way to a "
respected executive in the locker room
" in Qatar, as Lucas Hernandez explained to us before the start of the 2022 World Cup. “
We listen to him
,” added the Munich resident.
“
Four years ago, my role and that of the other executives was rather to protect him.
It was a very young, very talented player who arrived.
Today, he has completely asserted himself, there is no longer any question of protecting him.
He is one of the leaders of this group
“, analyzed Varane, also before the tournament, before seeing “KM” go up a notch on the shores of the Persian Gulf.
“
There is a handover that has taken place, between a generation arriving in the last phase and a new one, led by Kylian, who has shown strong leadership in this tournament.
And even more in this final
, ”said Lloris after France-Argentina.
In summary, Mbappé's leadership is neither questionable nor disputed.
It is a palpable reality, accepted by all within the France group, by the staff, the French Federation.
Lloris' reflection on the new generation is also important, essential: Griezmann is almost like a dinosaur within this young French team.
One point for Mbappé.
Regarding leadership, the takeover of Bondy's crack also took place in Paris, in a locker room where we find Leo Messi, Sergio Ramos and other Neymar Jr, sorry.
He does not hesitate to speak, replace, criticize in order to advance, even to the leaders.
So far, Marquinhos remains captain, and Mbappé one of the vice-captains.
Until when ?
“
It is the cornerstone of the project and the club
“, swore Nasser Al-Khelaïfi after the extension of the prodigy.
Didier Deschamps could use the same terms, he who did not hesitate to mention "
a player apart
" before the World Cup.
And in the Deschamps vocabulary, it's enormous.
Asked at the microphone of TF1 after the announcement of his international retirement, Hugo Lloris also hinted at a preference for Kylian Mbappé in the role.
At the time, Raphaël Varane had not yet hung up.
“
There is a player who is gaining momentum, at all levels, on the pitch, off the pitch, even at the level of group life and the locker room, it is Kylian Mbappé.
He started to take on a new role within the team, and I think we need that in a collective
, ”said the former Nice and Lyon goalkeeper.
The composite portrait of the perfect "capi", even if, as Didier Deschamps recognized, Antoine Griezmann represented a credible candidate "
compared to his experience
".
Except that Mbappé has it too.
And that it
Exemplary in terms of attitude on and off the pitch, the ex-Monegasque is also (and above all?) a ball-to-foot superstar.
One of the best players in the world, if not the best.
His hat-trick in the World Cup final is still on everyone's mind.
A status that invites him to be on the front line.
And so with the armband.
No need to wait two years in Griezmann's shadow.
It's already Mbappé's France team, why pretend?
Top scorer in the history of PSG (202 goals), he is called upon to overtake Olivier Giroud in Blue.
“
I hope he will break a lot of records.
In any case, it is intended for it.
Score to distance myself from him?
Don't worry, he'll catch up to me soon
“, smiled the Milanese in Qatar, after having erased Thierry Henry from the shelves during France-Poland (3-1).
He is now at 53 goals in 120 selections, against 36 in 66 caps for the Parisian.
Mbappé is also a perfect image.
Without taking anything away from Griezmann, what better showcase for the Blues and, more generally, French football?
As for communication, no problem either.
This has been true since his pro debut.
"
If he has one quality, in addition to all the others, it's that he is very good at communicating
," confirms Deschamps, hinting that the next captain may not have to deal with all the conferences of match watch press like Lloris.
“
It can evolve.
It is a component
, ”he slips.
We remember that Mbappé preferred to be discreet in the media in Qatar, in order to concentrate on the field.
Boys like Messi and Neymar, for example, have only done
One thing is certain: Kylian Mbappé, "
it's better to have him with you
", underlined Didier Deschamps, admiringly, during a recent interview with Le
Figaro
.
And to continue: “
Continue to continue, I have never done it.
The passion is there, but the cursor of my desire and my determination are at the maximum.
If I don't have that, it doesn't make sense.
“With a spearhead like Mbappé, the coach and the Blues can travel far, quiet, first.
The person concerned already wore the number 10 of Michel Platini and Zinédine Zidane.
Here he is now decked out in the full outfit of the tricolor boss.
A simple confirmation of what it was already in fact.
